"You cannot think too highly--cannot possibly She has a remarkable
character. For one thing, I never knew a girl with such strong
sympathies--so large-hearted and compassionate. You heard her
remark about the beggars; if she had her own way, she would support
a colony of pensioners. Let the sentimentalists say what they like,
that isn't a common weakness in women, you know. Her imagination is
painfully active; I'm afraid it causes her a great deal of misery.
The other day I found her in tears, and what do you think was the
reason?--she had been reading in some history about a poor fellow
who was persecuted for his religion in Charles the First's time--
some dissenter who got into the grip of Laud, was imprisoned, and
then brought to destitution by being forbidden to exercise each
calling that he took to in hope of earning bread. The end was, he
went mad and died. Lilian was crying over the story; it made her
wretched for a whole day."

"Rather morbid, that, I'm afraid."

"I don't know; most of us would be better for a little of such
morbidness. You mustn't suppose that fiction would have the same
effect on her--not at all. That poor devil (his name, I remember,
was Workman) was really and truly hounded to insanity and the grave,
and she saw the thing in all its dreadful details. I would rather
she had got into a rage about it, as I should--but that isn't her
nature."

"Let us hope she could rejoice when Laud was laid by the heels."

"I fear not. I'm afraid she would forget, and make excuses for the
blackguard."